1. The Los Angeles Wave:

“State Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas scored a knockout victory Tuesday night to become the first Black man ever elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, Ridley-Thomas had 250,198 votes or 61.4 percent of the votes, compared to 157,294 (38.6 percent) for L.A. City Councilman Bernard Parks.”

2. Los Angeles Times:

“A resounding victory over Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard C. Parks and a reputation for shrewd consensus-building was expected to aid Ridley-Thomas in an ambitious agenda, including better compensation for county workers and a pledge to reopen Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital by January 2010.”

3. L.A. Watts Times (PDF):

“In the most hotly contested local campaign of this election season, State Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas captured more than 60 percent of the vote to defeat Eighth District Councilman Bernard Parks 250,198 to 157,294 in the battle for the second district Los Angeles County Board of Supervisor’s seat being vacated by Yvonne Braithwaite Burke.”

4. Betty Pleasant’s The Soulvine:

“YES WE DID! We won an historic double-header Tuesday: We put the first Black man in the White House and the first Black man on the county Board of Supervisors, both of whom were, far and away, the better candidates who trounced their opponents to prove it.”

5. The Associated Press:

“State Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas was elected to the powerful Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, defeating a bid by city councilman and former police chief Bernard Parks.

Ridley-Thomas won 61 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s election for the 2nd District seat being vacated by Supervisor Yvonne B. Burke.”

6. Daily Breeze:

“As the first new member elected to the Board of Supervisors since 1996, state Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas said Wednesday his first order of business is to assemble an effective staff and focus on immediate needs in South Los Angeles, including reopening Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital.”

7. L.A. Weekly:

“MARK RIDLEY-THOMAS’ BLOWOUT WIN FOR L.A. COUNTY SUPERVISOR

They brought the roasted pig out in a cardboard box. And even if it was a “victory” party, all in attendance knew that their Los Angeles County Second District candidate, Bernard Parks, was cooked.”

8. The Front Page Online:

“On a night of unbounded jubilation for blacks and other liberals practically everywhere on earth, Mark Ridley-Thomas elevated the already shrill volume with a historic contribution of his own, scoring a crushing victory over Bernard C. Parks in the stunningly lopsided race for Yvonne Brathwaite Burke’s seat on the County Board of Supervisors.

On the eve of his 54th birthday, Mr. Ridley-Thomas last night became the first black man elected to arguably the most powerful local body in the country by the nose-flattening margin of 61.4 percent to 38.6 percent for Mr. Parks, an L.A. City Councilman.”

9. La Opinion (Spanish):

“State Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas, who on Tuesday won the contest as a representative of District 2 on the Board of Supervisors of the County of Los Angeles, said in his first public appearance after the election day, that the welfare of Latino families is one of his priorities.”

1. Do not miss Ari Noonan’s latest on The Front Page Online about Senator Ridley-Thomas:

The quintessential hometown politician, the essence of populism who knows voters by name and by trait. He gets things done, and voters remember. State Sen. Ridley-Thomas (D-Culver City) believes in retail.

He knows how, where and why everything works. Each time he runs, the voters of a broad cross-section of Los Angeles city and/or County reward him…

An intellectual by training and by practice, he is the master teacher, and you may call him The Professor…

If you elect him, you will be gaining a supervisor who is intellectually rigorous, communally sensitive, and, some would say, best of all, well ahead of the curve…”

Read the entire article.

2. California National Organization for Women President, Patty Bellasalma recounts her Saturday on the bus with Senator Ridley-Thomas and Dr. Cornel West:

“Yesterday I started the day inspired by Cornell West’s words and wisdom. West and I then got on the bus tour with Mark Ridley-Thomas as we visited the rich and diverse communities that make up the 2nd Supervisory District in Los Angeles. What we saw all day was democracy in action, grass-roots community organizing, women, men, children of all ages engaged, motivated, determined.

The message that was sent by everyone, in both their words and deeds was don’t stop, keep marching right up to 7th hour, the 59th minute and the 59th second on Tuesday evening, November 4th!

As Kim Gandy recently told us, “what-ifs” are unacceptable; volunteer today, Monday, election day, its not too late! Be part of history at the local, state and national level; here are a few ways: in L.A., help make sure Mark Ridley-Thomas gets elected to the 2nd District Supervisor seat…”

3. See more than a 100 incredible photos from Saturday’s hugely successful Get Out The Vote (GOTV) rallies across the 2nd District:

4. Talented Earthquake Productions endorses Mark Ridley-Thomas for Supervisor:

“I’m going with Mark Ridley-Thomas. Parks is a shade too conservative for me, and seems a little too brittle and aggressive. Ridley-Thomas has the air of an accountant, but seems fairly competent. Parks also does not seem to be very tolerant of disagreement.”

5. Watch a UNIVISION news story (in Spanish) about the 2nd District Supervisorial race at Latinos 4 MRT.

6. The Chamber of Commerce Journal endorses Mark Ridley-Thomas for Supervisor.

7. The Los Angeles Police Protective League has taken out “radio spots backing Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas in the county Board of Supervisors race,” according to Rick Orlov in the Daily News.

UPCOMING EVENTS

8. Tonight is your last chance to get trained to be a poll monitor. Training starts at 6 p.m. at the Mark Ridley-Thomas for Supervisor campaign headquarters located at 2092 W. Jefferson Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90018. Call (323) 733-2002 for more information.

1. Larry Aubry endorses Mark Ridley-Thomas for Supervisor in a must read Op-Ed in yesterday’s Los Angeles Sentinel:

“The county’s 2nd Supervisorial District deserves visionary, progressive leadership and State Senator Mark- Ridley Thomas fits the bill. His integrity, intelligence and audacious courage in the face of adversity have enabled him to navigate the truculent political terrain with his principles intact. He has precisely the leadership characteristics needed to meet the 2nd District’s daunting challenges.

The choice is clear. There are fundamental differences between Ridley-Thomas and his opponent, L.A. City Councilman Bernard Parks, who tends to favor business interests over residents’ concerns and at times, seems oblivious to systemic factors that negatively affect communities of color.

Ridley-Thomas’s world view, philosophy and political priorities differ substantially from Parks’; his group-oriented emphasis, challenges the prevailing individual/materialistic model that infuses America’s values and traditional politics. (To their detriment, Blacks have internalized these values.) Ridley-Thomas’s firm grounding in civil and human rights informs his politics and life’s work. His strategies are designed to change the existing political and economic landscape; his proposals and legislation at both the city and state levels reflect Mark’s deep concern for actual change.”

Read the entire Op-Ed.

2. Senator Ridley-Thomas earned a perfect 100 percent score from the Sierra Club (PDF) and the California League of Conservation Voters (PDF) indicating his “friendliness to the environment.”

3. “Dermot Givens, a lawyer and political consultant who used to work for Bernard Parks” predicts that Ridley-Thomas will win the Supervisors race because of “a better-run campaign and because Parks has surrounded himself with figures like [Yvonne] Burke, [Magic] Johnson and Rep. Maxine Waters.” “He’s surrounded himself with the old guard,” Givens said. “This is an election cycle for change.”

Read more at the Daily Breeze.

4. L.A. Observed posted a nice photo of Senator Ridley-Thomas voting in the June primary election with his wife and two sons.

5. LAPD Reform Officers endorse Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas for 2nd District Supervisor:

“This endorsement is based on Senator Ridley-Thomas’ record of leadership as the head of the Los Angeles Southern Christian Leadership Conference, leadership on the Los Angeles City council, leadership in the California State Legislature, and his record and position on issues important to the citizens of Los Angeles and California.”

6. Senator Ridley-Thomas encourages Californians and the Nation to make Election Day a family affair in an Op-Ed posted at California Progress Report:

“Given the historical significance of this election and the crucial issues facing our country, November 4th is the perfect day to actively engage our children in a civics lesson and give them the opportunity to witness democracy in action. By doing so, parents will sow the seeds of civic participation and democracy that our children will harvest in the future.”

Read the entire Op-Ed.

7. Betty Pleasant has an easy solution for remembering who and what to vote for on November 4th:

“So, when you go to the polls Tuesday, keep it simple and vote “yes” on Barack Obama; “yes” on Mark Ridley-Thomas and “no” on just about everything else.”

Read the entire article on City Watch L.A.

UPCOMING EVENTS

8. Ridley-Thomas Crisscrosses 2nd District Ahead of Final Weekend’s GOTV Push to Nov. 4 General Election Vote

Friday, October 31, 2008 – State Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas will crisscross the sprawling Second District today to deliver his message of “Working for Change & Delivering Results” when he pays a visit to teachers and school children in Exposition Park, senior citizens and caregivers in Carson, and families served by a learning complex in South Los Angeles.

8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Ridley-Thomas Delivers for Education
Alexander Science Center School
700 State Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90037

United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA), L.A. School Board President Monica Garcia, L.A. School Members Marguerite Poindexter-LaMotte, Yolie Flores Aguilar and Marlene Canter, and the L.A. County Education Association have endorsed Sen. Ridley-Thomas. He will join teachers and elementary school children in their celebration of Halloween. Sen. Ridley-Thomas will serve as a judge for the students’ annual Halloween costume contest.

1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Ridley-Thomas Delivers for Senior Citizens
City of Carson Senior Recreation Center
801 E. Carson Street
Carson, CA 90745

Sen. Ridley-Thomas engineered a $28 million investment in senior housing and community-based senior citizen service centers. He passed legislation to protect client choice in In-Home Support Services. He passed state laws to provide low-cost prescription drugs needed by seniors on fixed incomes. Ridley-Thomas will join 1,000 seniors at a luncheon in the Carson; including many that attended his “Senior Scam Stoppers” Town Hall meetings held this year in his 26th Senate District.

3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Ridley-Thomas Delivers for Families
Rita D. Walters Learning Complex
915 W. Manchester Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90044

As part of a $500 million economic development agenda while serving on the Los Angeles City Council, Senator Ridley-Thomas spearheaded the development of the mixed-use Rita Walters Learning Complex. The complex houses a school, community clinic and a soon-to-opened school-based health clinic. NOTE: Sen. Ridley-Thomas passed legislation to expand school-based health clinics to serve the health needs of 6 million young people at schools statewide.

9. Don’t miss tomorrow’s Get Out The Vote rally with Dr. Cornel West. More info here.

1. Our Weekly endorses Mark Ridley-Thomas for 2nd District L.A. County Supervisor.

2. L.A. Weekly endorses Ridley-Thomas for Supervisor:

On Parks: “He was simply a disgrace as LAPD police chief, an obsessive Captain Queeg–like tyrant who busted out street cops for not shining their shoes while he closed his eyes to the corruption and mayhem as Rampart Division imploded. Many of the root problems at Rampart were incubated when Parks ran Internal Affairs, apparently while blindfolded. As a City Council member, he has consistently represented the interests of big business and landlords (at least when he’s found the time to stop his petty feud with his LAPD successor, Bill Bratton).”

On Ridley-Thomas: “He’s made generally good and reasoned decisions and has demonstrated an earnest investment in his responsibilities. He’s running an impressive ground campaign with the help of the massive L.A. County Federation of Labor, with whom he has forged close ties. In this case, that’s something I’m comfortable with. It’s a better group of friends than Parks has rallied and represented. Ridley-Thomas has shown serious commitment to the economic redevelopment of South Los Angeles and he has distinguished himself as someone fully able and willing to cross racial lines, adding a measure of harmony to some of the more rough-edged shifts of power among L.A. blacks and Latinos. Mark Ridley-Thomas for county supervisor.”

3. The Los Angeles County Democratic Party endorses Senator Ridley-Thomas for Supervisor.

4. L.A. City Beat endorses Ridley-Thomas for Supervisor:

5. Anthony Asadullah Samad, Ph.D, says Tuesday will “represent [a] watermark change in American society” with the election of Barack Obama. He goes on to urge voters to vote for change at all levels of government:

“Change is going to come at every government level. From the top of the ticket at President, congressional seats, and local government seats and initiatives. The most important race in Los Angeles will be the race for County Supervisor, considered the most powerful position in the state (after Governor and Assembly Speaker). Don’t sleep this seat, and don’t be tricked out of this seat. Mark Ridley-Thomas is the choice for this position. The expectation is that many voters, particularly younger ones will vote for Barack and nobody else. Vote Obama and Ridley-Thomas and everything in between. Change at the top can’t happen alone. Don’t bypass the opportunity to make great change this election, and don’t let this change pass you by.”

Read the entire Our Weekly Op-Ed.

6 The Bernard Parks campaign is now $338,423 in debt. And this is in spite of raising at least $52,000 from companies that contract with the MTA — where Parks is a sitting member of the Board.

7. “If you like Burke, you’ll love Parks,” according to Dr. Suzanne De Benedittis on The Front Page Online:

“I wonder if [Burke] considers her mockery of democracy as patriotism, and her endorsement of Bernard Parks as a way of continuing her reign.

I wonder why Mr. Parks was not there to use his influence and power as Los Angeles Councilman to demand that Burke take the time to do this thing right and avoid lawsuits from his constituents?”

Read the entire Op-Ed.

8. Senator Ridley-Thomas and Bernard Parks spar on KPCC over the future of King Medical Center.

9. Culture Kitchen, a community blog committed to providing a platform to political activists and cultural creatives, endorses Mark Ridley-Thomas for Supervisor.

10. Senator Ridley-Thomas convened a high-level symposium on the foreclosure crisis to discuss “strategies for implementing recently passed loan-refinancing legislation authored by Ridley-Thomas.”

11. According to Betty Pleasant at The Soulvine, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, “one of Mark’s staunchest supporters,” might have interest in the Senator’s senate seat.

UPCOMING EVENTS

12. Help Amigos de Mark Ridley-Thomas make bilingual outreach calls to Latino voters in the 2nd District from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. tonight at campaign headquarters (2092 W. Jefferson Blvd, L.A., CA 90018).

13. Poll monitor training session tonight at the Inglewood Office, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., at 235 E. Manchester Blvd., CA 90301.

14. GET OUT THE VOTE (GOTV) rally featuring Dr. Cornel West this Saturday at 11 a.m. at campaign headquarters (2092 W. Jefferson Blvd., L.A., CA 90018).

15. Poll monitor training session on Monday at campaign headquarters, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., at 2092 W. Jefferson Ave., CA 90018.

1. “19 Culver City Leaders Line up Behind Ridley-Thomas for Supervisor”:

“On Nov. 4, Culver City voters have the opportunity to play a significant role in electing our new representative to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Culver City’s leaders, including all five members of the City Council, strongly support state Sen. Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Culver City).

Sen. Ridley-Thomas has the experience that we need to meet and guide the challenges facing our community. For more than 30 years, he has served as a community activist, civic leader and an elected member of the Los Angeles City Council, state Assembly, and state Senate. As an 11-year City Councilman, Sen. Ridley-Thomas understands the challenges that local communities face.

He has worked diligently on increasing local control over important civic issues and empowering communities and their leaders to make important decisions. He has represented Culver City in the state Senate and has shown a keen understanding of our community’s issues. He knows how to work with us to do what’s best for our residents and business community.”

Read the entire Op-Ed at The Front Page Online.

2. Ari Noonan at The Front Page Online wonders if Bernard Parks is cut out to be a politician:

“In every public scenario where I have studied him in this campaign, Mr. Parks has reminded me of the way I felt the second time I met the parents of one ex-wife who left her footprints on my life. I think it was her heel. After the first meeting, her parents barred me from their house. Being resourceful, if not clever, we met elsewhere.

Even though every signal screams otherwise, Mr. Parks insists that he is at ease inside of his skin running for a high-profile office in this city…”

Read the entire article.

3. The Los Angeles Police Protective League is supporting Mark Ridley-Thomas for L.A. County Supervisor.

UPCOMING EVENTS

4. Speaker Karen Bass will help the West L.A. Democratic Club phone-bank on behalf of Senator Ridley-Thomas tonight. Come out and meet the Speaker and Senator Ridley-Thomas from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Westside Democratic HQ, 900 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica.

5. Poll monitor training session tonight at the Carson Office, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., at 730 E. Carson Ave., Carson, CA 90745

1. Suzanne DeBenedittis is fed up with County Supervisor Yvonne Burke ignoring her constituents and offers up some sound advice on how to fix the problem in an Op-Ed on The Front Page Online:

Second, please vote for state Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas for Supervisor. He has tirelessly worked on the public’s behalf to ensure transparency and oversight throughout this process. He has been actively involved, from requesting the County to give the time necessary for Culver City and the public to help craft a meaningful set of regulations, to serving as our watchdog with the state agencies who regulate the drilling.

As Supervisor, Mark Ridley-Thomas will continue to act on behalf of the public.

Read the entire Op-Ed.

2. Senator Ridley-Thomas “issued a statement Monday expressing his condolences” to Bernard Parks whose father died yesterday.

3. Senator Ridley-Thomas joined representatives of the Latino, Asian-Pacific and African American caucuses to oppose Proposition 11, which would create a 14-member citizen commission to redraw the state’s district lines after each national census. The worry is that the Proposition “is not conducive to the representation of minority groups”.

UPCOMING EVENTS

4. Attend the last Candidates Forum tonight at 6:15 p.m. at Thomas A. Edison Middle School Auditorium, 6500 Hooper Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90001.

5. There will be live jazz and a complimentary soul food buffet at the above free event. More information here.

6. Poll monitor training session tonight at the Compton Office, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., at 1001 W. Compton Blvd., Compton, CA 90221.

1. In addition to the presidential race, the race for county supervisor is also drawing a lot of attention according to the Daily News.

UPCOMING EVENTS

2. Don’t miss out on our second and final Carson office “Youth Night” from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m tonight. Last week was a huge success with more than 30 teens and parents volunteering on behalf of the Mark Ridley-Thomas for Supervisor campaign. The Carson office is located at 730 E. Carson St., Carson, CA 90745

3. Please join Senator Ridley-Thomas at the Lynwood kickoff reception tonight at 5 p.m. at 4357 Fernwood Avenue, Lynwood, CA 90262. Call (323) 459-8603 to RSVP.

4. Senator Ridley-Thomas and Bernard Parks “will face off at the County Supervisor Candidates’ Forum to discuss goals and an overall vision for the county. At Thomas A. Edison Middle School” on Tuesday.

5. Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas will join his endorsers, supporters and volunteers for the Mark Ridley-Thomas for Supervisor Campaign Election Night Victory Celebration at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at the Century Plaza Hotel (Plaza Level, 2025 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067) in Century City.

PROTECT YOUR VOTE: Volunteer as a Poll Monitor on Election Day!

ATTEND a poll monitor training session this week from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the following locations:

MONDAY (10/27): Gardena Office, 2500 W. Rosecrans, Gardena, CA 90249

TUESDAY (10/28): Compton Office, 1001 W. Compton Blvd., Compton, CA 90221

WEDNESDAY (10/29): Carson Office, 730 E. Carson Ave., Carson, CA 90745

THURSDAY (10/30): Inglewood Office, 235 E. Manchester Blvd., Inglewood, CA 90301

MONDAY (11/3): Campaign Headquarters, 2092 W. Jefferson Ave., CA 90018

Visit here more information on why poll monitoring matters.

1. A Senator Ridley-Thomas Op-Ed, “The 2nd District has Waited Too Long for Safe Neighborhoods, Jobs and Healthcare,” is posted at City Watch:

I’m running for Supervisor to represent the people of the 2nd District because county services have declined in the past eight years. 2nd District residents have waited too long for changes that will improve their quality of life. They don’t want more of the same. They want change. They want safe neighborhoods. They want jobs. They want healthcare.

We must provide families in the 2nd District with access to quality health services. We must give residents access to life-saving emergency medical care that is close-to-home, not across town. I plan to reopen Martin Luther King Hospital as a revitalized and competent medical center by January 2010.

We must launch effective crime prevention and gang intervention programs. I will forge partnerships with communities and law enforcement that will make every 2nd District city, community and neighborhood safer than they are today.

I have a 17-year record of bringing diverse communities together to bring about change in government through solid, forward-looking public policies driven by community empowerment. I bring activism to the job of Supervisor. That is what the people of the 2nd District want. I’m prepared to deliver.

Read the entire Op-Ed.

2. The Westside Progressives endorse Mark Ridley-Thomas for L.A. County Supervisor.

3. Who’s Who Publishing released its inaugural edition of “Who’s Who In Black Los Angeles” yesterday. The new book “chronicles prominent Living Legends” and “Interesting Personalities, including Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas, Speaker Karen Bass, Tavis Smiley, Isaiah Washington and Mablean Ephriam, to name a few.”

4. Senator Ridley-Thomas is “Taking face time with voters” according to a Los Angeles Wave headline. The article notes that “Ridley-Thomas ramped up his campaign Tuesday night with the opening of an office in Inglewood, an event attended by around 50 supporters.”

5. The Front Page Online posted an amusing and informative article titled, “Go Take a Hike, Sen. Ridley-Thomas and Others Were Advised. They Did, and They Had Fun”:

With the Sierra Club providing the impetus, with Tito’s Tacos providing a mountain of nutrition, with state Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Culver City) providing the star power, and with nature providing the terrific backdrop of woodsy, romantically adventurous Kenny Hahn State Park, a grand social experiment , a one-mile hike, was about to take flight.

The senator, who is running against L.A. City Councilman Bernard Parks for a seat on the County Board of Supervisors, did not just happen into the park.

For being a loyal friend of the environment, said Bill Vanderberg, of the Sierra Club, the best known environmemtal group in America has endorsed him in the Nov. 4 election.

6. Fred MacFarlane has a tongue in cheek reaction on The Front Page Online to a new Bernard Parks video posted on his website:

“All in all, I’d have to say Mr. Parks’ video message sets a new standard. It is, without a doubt, the ultimate video equivalent of Sominex. That’s a feat that’s hard to achieve, but boy, did they ever do it.”

7. A Fix Expo statement before the L.A. City Council was harshly critical of Bernard Parks. It concluded:

And so we will begin coming to this Council meeting more regularly to submit to you the documents and concerns they’ve ignored, in part, because we have no other option. Parks and Perry have refused to listen; they have refused to lead.

UPCOMING EVENTS

8. Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas and The Empowerment Congress are hosting a very special and intriguing discussion on “Your Genes: Choice or Chance?” at the California Science Center, 700 State Drive, L.A., CA 90037. Register online.

9. Senator Ridley-Thomas is helping sponsor a free disaster preparedness fair — “Prepare Today - Survive Tomorrow” — at the California African American Museum (CAAM) on Saturday, October 25, 2008 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

10. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Please call Shauna at (323) 733-2002 to lend your support:

A. Be a Paperboy/Papergirl this Saturday. We’ll have more 10,000 Dems in Faith newspapers to distribute to churches across LA County.

B. Manual Arts Homecoming Parade Saturday at 11 a.m. Help pass out campaign literature while Senator Ridley-Thomas is honored as Grand Marshal.

C. Coffee, phone banking and precinct walking at campaign headquarters tomorrow morning at 9 a.m.

1. An Op-Ed on The Front Page Online excoriates Bernard Parks about his stance and comments regarding the Expo Line Corridor:

“The bottom line, Bernard C. Parks, is, you have never been in office to serve the community. You’ve been in office to serve yourself.”

Read the entire Op-Ed.

2. A KPCC, 89.3, news brief recaps Monday’s Patt Morrison hosted debate between Senator Ridley-Thomas and Bernard Parks.

1. The Los Angeles Downtown News endorsed Mark Ridley-Thomas for Supervisor on Friday.

2. EGP News recommends Mark Ridley-Thomas for Supervisor (2nd District).

3. The L.A. Times’ John Mitchell has an interesting article about the Second District Supervisor’s race that can be summed up by the following quote by Cal State Fullerton political scientist, Raphael J. Sonenshein:

“A Ridley-Thomas victory is really a step forward for a younger generation of African Americans — including those with closer ties to organized labor — liberals, and Latinos,” he said. “A Parks victory would reaffirm the enduring strength of the older black political establishment that built itself during the Bradley years and is very cohesive.”

In a nutshell, Ridley-Thomas represents the new while Parks represents the old. Or, Ridley-Thomas represents change while Parks represents the status quo.

4. The Los Angeles Police Protective League has started a radio campaign OPPOSING former police chief Bernard Parks for Supervisor.

5. The Wave Newspapers report that Bernard Parks, “who when he announced [his] issues-only tour said he would not use the occasions to attack his opponent,” then “blasted Mark Ridley-Thomas.” Oddly, Parks also criticized Senator Ridley-Thomas for “relying too heavily on his long list of endorsements.” As if having a long list of endorsers was a bad thing.

6. The Wave Newspapers write about the overwhelming support Senator Ridley-Thomas enjoys from organized labor. AFL-CIO Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Maria Elena Durazo, “pledged to use all their resources to elect Ridley-Thomas” for Supervisor. She went on to say:

“We know the voters want a change [in] the way decisions are made about reopening the hospital and quality health care, making our communities safer and creating good jobs and opportunities.”

7. Frank Stoltze of Southern California Public Radio, KPCC 89.3, has an audio segment about Senator Ridley-Thomas’ Latino support.

UPCOMING EVENTS

8. From 2:06 p.m. to 2:40 p.m. this afternoon, Patt Morrison will referee a debate between Senator Ridley-Thomas and Bernard Parks on KPCC 89.3.

9. TONIGHT is the Mark Ridley-Thomas for Supervisor Inglewood satellite office kickoff! Don’t miss out on this fun event which starts at 5 p.m. at 235 E. Manchester Blvd, Inglewood, CA 90301. Be sure to check out past kickoff videos from the Gardena office, the Carson office and the main office.

10. State Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas will join the Sierra Club early Monday evening when it hosts another in an on-going series of family hikes in Kenneth Hahn State Park.

It is billed as “A Twilight Walk in the Park With Mark.”

The 75-minute, one-mile hike will start at 6:30 at the Japanese Garden of the park, 4100 S. LaCienega Blvd. Refreshments will be provided, but participants are invited to bring flashlights since it will be dark shortly.

More information and contact information is available in the “Community Update” section of The Front Page Online.

1. Councilman Herb Wesson’s wife, Fabian, apparently believes Senator Ridley-Thomas is going to win the Supervisor’s race. The Wave Newspapers write that she is “laying the groundwork to succeed [Ridley-Thomas]. But being a woman of abundant tact, she will wait until Nov. 5 to make her announcement”.

2. Betty Pleasant of Soulvine writes about Bernard Parks’ latest campaign stumble. Parks used city resources — his official 8th District newsletter — to link to a dated right wing smear piece about Senator Ridley-Thomas in violation of the city ethics ordinance. Adding insult to injury for Parks, the offending links went to a virulent anti-Obama website.

3. The City Council voted for a dramatic 13% rise in the cost of ambulance services provided by the LAFD. Bernard Parks said that the now $1,004 price tag was necessary to “try to remain consistent with the rates charged by the county of Los Angeles.”

4. Our Weekly notes that the format for the Community Coalition’s candidates forum had to be changed last minute because Bernard Parks was a no-show. It was “turned into a question and answer session” with Senator Ridley-Thomas. See photos from the event here.

UPCOMING EVENTS

5. In a noon press conference today at Mercado La Paloma, located at 3655 S. Grand Avenue, L.A., Latino leaders will announce their support for the Ridley-Thomas for Supervisor campaign.

6. Don’t miss the Ridley-Thomas for Supervisor Compton satellite office kickoff rally this Saturday at 10 a.m. The office is located at 1001 W. Compton Blvd, Compton, CA 90220.

1. Milenio.com (English translation) writes about the recent “Black-Latino” summit in Los Angeles that brought together 500 Hispanic and African-American community leaders. The article quotes California Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas saying that Latinos and African Americans “are the most fragile sector of the population” who have suffered the most from the financial crisis.

2. UPCOMING EVENTS: Call HQ for details (323) 733-2002.

TONIGHT: Candidate Forums in Inglewood, Athens, Compton, and S. L.A. (5 p.m. - 9 p.m.)

THURSDAY: Press Conference at Mercado La Paloma, 3655 S. Grand Avenue, L.A. (12 p.m.). Latino leaders will announce their support for the Ridley-Thomas for Supervisor campaign.

SATURDAY: Volunteer opportunities at the main office 2092 W. Jefferson Blvd, L.A. starting at 9 a.m.

MONDAY October 20th: Teen night at the Carson campaign office, 730 East Carson Street, Carson 90745, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

1. Culver City’s The Front Page Online picks up on Bernard Parks ethics violations. Essentially Parks used his official City Council newsletter to besmirch Senator Ridley-Thomas (and Barack Obama). And, “The city of Los Angeles Governmental Ethics Ordinance prohibits the use of city resources for any non-city business purpose, including campaign activity.”

2. Fred MacFarlane answers the question - “Who are these groups [that support Senator Ridley-Thomas]?” - for The Front Page Online:

“In Sen. Ridley-Thomas’ case, the answer is simple and compelling. They are the working people we all depend upon everyday to protect our lives or save our lives when the worst happens. They are police officers and Sheriff’s deputies. They are nurses and doctors. They are firefighters and lifeguards. They are probation officers. They are our first responders and critical care professionals.

They support Sen. Ridley-Thomas for Supervisor of the 2nd District in the Nov. 4 general election because they believe he will work for change on the Board of Supervisors and deliver results for the people of the 2nd District. “

1. Rick Orlov writes in the Daily News that Barack Obama is so far ahead in California that “eager volunteers” are being asked to make calls on behalf of “state Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas in his bid for the county Board of Supervisors against Councilman Bernard Parks.”

2. The L.A. Times writes about Governor Schwarzenegger’s checkered environmental record. While the Governor wants to be “known as the greenest governor in America” his record is decidedly mixed. For example:

“The governor vetoed SB 775, sponsored by Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) to increase screening and tracking of childhood lead poisoning. The bill would also have required that information about lead, which can cause retardation, be given to pregnant women.”

3. The L.A. Times issued a correction to a Thursday piece that claimed Senator Ridley-Thomas had gotten a cash infusion. “The money raised by an independent union committee, did not go to the state senator’s campaign for the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, as the brief said, the committee is using it to help him win.

4. And the L.A. Times issued another correction to an article which misstated Mark Ridley-Thomas’ victory margin in the June primary. For the record, Ridley-Thomas won the primary with 46% of the vote while Bernard Parks finished a distant second with 40%.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

5. The Mark Ridley-Thomas for Supervisor Gardena satellite office grand opening is today at 5 p.m.! Come out for refreshments and to meet the Senator at 2500 W. Rosecrans Ave. Gardena, CA 90249.

1. Kenneth S. Alpern, M.D., who is the Co-Chair of the Council District 11 Transportation Advisory Committee, is “excited” about Senator Ridley-Thomas’ SB 1422 legislation designed to ease traffic congestion which was recently signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger.

2. The professional trucker website, Land Line Magazine, also takes a look at the new HOT lanes law and quotes Senator Ridley-Thomas as saying the toll lanes will reduce congestion, improve air quality and increase economic development.

3. The French daily newspaper Le Monde (translation) writes about how crisis in the black and Latino communities is bringing the two communities together. The article quotes Senator Ridley-Thomas stating that blacks and Latinos represent “the most fragile and the first affected by the current crisis of subprime loans.”

UPCOMING EVENTS:

4. The Mark Ridley-Thomas for Supervisor Campaign’s Gardena satellite office grand opening is on Monday at 5 p.m. Please come out and meet Senator Ridley-Thomas at 2500 W. Rosecrans Ave. Gardena, CA 90249. We will provide refreshments! RSVP to (323) 733-2002 or to ridleythomasforsupervisor@gmail.com.

5. Hawthorne residents can watch last night’s candidates forum with Senator Ridley-Thomas and Bernard Parks on Hawthorne Community Television Channel 22. The program will air at the following times:

Friday, October 17 - 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Monday, October 20 - 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Tuesday, October 21 - 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Wednesday, October 22 - 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Thursday, October 23 - 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.

UPDATED UPCOMING EVENTS:

6. Sunday house party in Harbor City. Meet Senator Ridley-Thomas between 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. at 1224 Oak Horn Drive, Harbor City.

7. Join Senator Ridley-Thomas at a house party on Sunday between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. hosted by Forescee Hogan Rowles and Leimert Park Neighbors and Friends. The address is 3801 Grayburn Avenue, L.A. 90008.

8. A final Sunday house party hosted by Alan Bail and the West L.A. Dem Club will take place between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. at 11931 Lawler Street in L.A. at the intersection of Palms and Inglewood in Mar Vista.